I decided to bite the bullet and buy a new bandsaw, and chose to go with the Grizzly G0513X2BF. I know, that’s a mouthful, but here’s the rundown of basic specs that led me to this direction:
- 17″ diameter wheels
- 12″ resaw height
- Up to 1″ blade width
- Foot Brake
- Cast Iron Wheels
- Cast Iron Trunnion
- Cast Iron Fence
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Green Paint
There are many more specs out there, but these were the most important to me. I did a ton of internet research before this purchase, and happened across a coupon code from Will Walker. I believe the code was “Walker10” if you want to try it, but I think it ends early in 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7W_1kKVwlM&t=208s
While I’m nowhere nearly as thrilled with the saw as he is, I will say that I like it. The primary downside I see to this saw was the installed blade, which was mediocre at best. I’ll do plenty more reviews in the future, but I wanted to get started, so here’s my simple Pros/Cons list
Pros
12″ Resaw Capacity
Small Footprint
Good Power Motor
Inexpensive mobile base (Shop Fox D2057A)
1″ blade capacity
Easy Blade Change
LOTS of cast iron (table, fence….)
Solid Steel fence rail
Includes blade (mediocre)
Included Resaw Fence
Foot Brake (although this was an expensive add-on).
Table and fence are VERY flat and straight.
Cast Iron trunnion for strength
Cons
E-stop button feels cheap
Resaw capacity not easily increased with riser block
Mobile base isn’t a perfect match, lacks some aesthetics of other brands
Mobile base bolts interfere with lower door unless trimmed short
Door hinges get in the way slightly when changing 1″ blades
Fence indicator looks cheap, less accurate than some clear glass with lines.
No on-machine storage options for accessories such as the fence or resaw fence
Resaw fence is difficult to assemble.
No on-tool storage for accessories such as fence, resaw fence, and miter gauge
I narrowed my choices down between this saw and the Laguna 14BX saw, but ultimately chose this based on 2 factors: The Grizzly had the larger 17″ wheels, and it could tension a 1″ blade vs. the 3/4″ blade on the Laguna. I would have loved to find someplace that had both set up side by side and allowed hands-on testing, but I couldn’t find this locally so I ended up choosing based on watching LOTS of YouTube videos. Also, when hearing comments in forums, many people mentioned the poor support from Laguna after the sale. I have previous experience with Grizzly, and feel their support is pretty good.
The lack of on-tool storage bugs me, but perhaps I’ll find a way to put some brackets on there to store the fence and miter gauge when I’m not using them.
Stay tuned for more updates on this saw, but for now I’ll leave you with a picture or two!
